Nude cyclists to drive their point home with protest

When hundreds of protesters take off most of their clothes, coat themselves in body paint and hop on bicycles, they are likely to draw a fair amount of attention.

That's the point.

The World Naked Bike Ride plans to hit Chicago and at least 25 other cities around the world Saturday as a peaceful protest against international oil consumption, according Chicago ride organizer Aurora Danai.

"We don't expect everyone to be OK with this," said Danai, a 26-year-old Bucktown resident. "We're just trying to have a good time and raise awareness."

Now in its third year, World Naked Bike Ride is a way for communities to simultaneously protest oil use and promote positive self-images by ditching motor-powered vehicles and the body coverings society demands people wear, Danai said.

World Naked Bike Ride organizers expect people in at least 14 countries to participate in Saturday's ride. Locally, Danai expects about 300 people to bike, skate and even jog during the event.

The Chicago ride will take place at night, Danai said, out of respect for parents who do not want their children exposed to adult nudity.

But Danai stresses that the ride is not meant to be a sexual statement.

"I don't deny that there's sexual aspects to every human interaction; we are all sexual beings, but this ride is not about that sexual drive," she said. "It's about being together as a community and saying we have nothing to hide."

Full public nudity is illegal in Chicago, and Iris Bainum-Houle, who participated in last year's ride, said she encountered undercover police officers and saw people getting arrested last year.

Participants are not required to be completely naked, and Danai estimates that around half of all riders will be fully nude or wearing costumes made only with materials like body paint, hats or feather boas. Other riders wear anything from thongs and electrical tape to full clothing.

Bainum-Houle, a 22-year-old Lincoln Park resident, said the World Naked Bike Ride's motto--"bare as you dare"--encourages participants to make their own decisions about breaking the law.

Chicago police spokesman Pat Camden said there will be enough police officers on hand to make sure the protest can happen, but that the law is not violated.

Bainum-Houle said the ride offers an unusual twist on the traditional protest.

"If a bunch of people congregate together outside a building to protest, people are desensitized to that," she said. "But if you see a bunch of people nude, on bikes, playing music and singing and just having fun, it gets your attention."

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To ride

Want to bike Chicago in the buff? The World Naked Bike Ride is set for Saturday in Wicker Park. Check-in begins at 6 p.m. at the fountain in Wicker Park, 1455 N. Damen Ave. The ride is set to start at 9 p.m. For more info, visit www.worldnakedbikeride.org/chicago.